


New Year's Eve

by BlackCat46



Series: Hayffie Celebrations [2]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Family New Year, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-22 04:35:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13159395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackCat46/pseuds/BlackCat46
Summary: Follow up from Together For Christmas. It is now December thirty first, and with Willow, and grumpy newborns Rye and Elle in tow, Haymitch, Effie, Katniss, and Peeta all head out into the town square to celebrate New Year's Eve with the rest of the District. Will their year start off right?





	New Year's Eve

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year! And may the odds be ever in your favour! I hope this year is full of happiness, positive changes, and prosperity for you all. Now, here is a one-shot to kick off 2018 with our favourite characters. Have a very happy New Year. xxx
> 
> Before we begin, disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its world, or its characters. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

Katniss sighs as she walks into the Abernathy household, following her husband closely, her newborn son in her arms, her four year old daughter clutching nervously at her father's arm. "It's okay, Willow," Peeta whispers, knowing that the older couple won't hear him over their shouts and their baby daughter's screaming. "You know Auntie Effie and Uncle Haymitch fight a lot."

"But never when  _we're_ here," Willow whispers.

"They don't know that we're here yet, sweetie," Peeta whispers back.

They stop outside the living room to see the older couple stood about a foot apart, red in the face, and glaring at each other with murder in their eyes. "She's a week old, Effie, she's not old enough to go to the celebrations!" Haymitch roars.

"We've had these plans since  _last_ December! We are  _going_!" Effie screeches. "We cannot cancel on the kids, we've had the whole year to do that! We've had one whole year! We're  _not_ cancelling at the last minute. Baby or no baby!"

"What does it matter to you?!" Haymitch demands. "You're not having any drinks anyway, you're supposed to be breastfeeding!"

"Oh, and just because I'm not drinking and because I'm breastfeeding, I'm automatically banned from any and all social events that the rest of my family go to?!" Effie screams, her eyes blazing. "I'm not socially inept just because I pushed a baby out, you know! I'm still  _allowed_ to go to parties, and I'm still  _allowed_ to celebrate the New Year like I have ever since I moved here three years ago! We had the discussion about you being controlling  _years_ ago, Haymitch Abernathy, and I refuse to let you control me now! Are you going to keep screaming at me, or are you going to accept that I'm still the woman I was before you knew about our baby? New motherhood doesn't define me, after all. I do still want a life outside of being a mom."

Haymitch just looks sour for a minute, then shrugs. "You'll do what you like anyway," he mutters, then storms past her.

"If you're going for a drink, I will have some orange juice, please!" Effie calls, then mutters "Poison free, preferably."

"Fine!" Haymitch snaps. "I'm just here to be your personal slave!"

"I said if you're going!" Effie huffs. "Oh, forget it, I'll get it myself later!"

Haymitch snaps "Why did I want you home?! You're the most annoying woman on the planet!" then slams the kitchen door, making their baby cry even more loudly than before.

Effie scoops the baby up and cuddles her. "It's okay, baby girl, it's all okay. Mommy's here, you're safe. Shh, Peanut, shh. Would you like your milk, my darling?" she whispers, stroking her baby's bright red cheeks until she goes quiet. Elle turns her head to her mother's chest hopefully, making her mother smile. Effie undoes her woolly cardigan and her pretty cashmere blouse, then undoes her nursing bra, chuckling softly as her baby latches onto her eagerly. "There we go, my perfect baby. Drink up."

She strokes her daughter's head, humming softly, then Willow quietly asks "Auntie Effie?"

Effie startles a little, then turns to see her entire extended family watching her warily. "Hello, dear!" she chirps, a false facade of cheeriness automatically taking over. She picks up a thin blanket and covers herself and Elle with it. "Are you all ready for the party tonight?"

"Yeah," Willow whispers, still looking fearful.

"What's the matter, darling?" Effie asks, concern filling her and ruining her cheery front as she kneels down beside the little girl.

"Are you and Uncle Mitch splitting up?" Willow asks quietly.

"No, darling, don't you worry. Your uncle and I fight all the time," Effie tells her lovingly. "We still love each other. Fighting is our way of showing each other that we love each other. You needn't worry until the day we stop fighting."

Willow nods, then looks at the baby in her aunt's arms, watching her feed. "Will you fight with the baby?" Willow asks.

"When she's much bigger and our views clash, yes" Effie says. "It's natural for families to fight, darling. It won't always happen, but when it does, we always fix it. It's part of being a family. You will fight with your parents when your views clash. You will fight with your brother. You will fight with Elle when she gets bigger. You will even fight with your uncle and me, darling. It's just a fact of life. It doesn't mean that we'll be mad at each other forever, it'll be just for a little while. We'll always be a family, and we'll always love each other. Come here, little one."

Effie pulls Willow close and gives her a kiss to the top of her head, making sure that she doesn't hurt or disturb Elle in the process. Willow clutches her aunt and whispers "It's scary when you and Uncle Mitch fight."

"I know, darling," Effie whispers. She won't say it out loud, but with every fight she and Haymitch have, Effie worries more and more that he'll throw her and their baby out of his home and never let them return. "It's okay, though. He loves us, and he would never do anything to hurt any of us."

Haymitch has just walked in with Effie's orange juice, and he overhears everything she's said to Willow. He can hear the unconvinced tone to her voice, despite nobody else hearing it, and feels guilty for letting her think that he'd ever do anything to hurt her or their kids, or Katniss and Peeta's kids. "Eff, here's your juice," he says, kneeling beside her. "Don't worry, I didn't poison it."

Effie smiles at him, looking fond to the untrained eye, then says "I didn't doubt that."

Haymitch sees how insecure his wife feels and gives her a kiss, cuddling her close. Effie feels a sharp stab of guilt at the faint taste of liquor on Haymitch's lips, but she keeps quiet about it, seeing as they're the only two people who know that he still has the occasional glass of alcohol to calm himself. "How's Peanut?" he asks softly.

"Hungry," Effie whispers, lifting the blanket to look at their newborn daughter. Elle studies her mother, then sucks harder, her eyes never leaving her mother's face. "Apparently, she doesn't like having Mom watch her while she eats."

Haymitch chuckles, then rubs the baby's back. "She's just like you," he chuckles.

 Effie winces as Elle sucks on her even harder than before. "Are you okay?" Peeta asks, looking worried.

"I'm fine, my darling," Effie tells him, smiling. 

"Is she sucking too hard?" Katniss asks, understanding all over her face.

"A little," Effie admits. "It doesn't help the tenderness."

Katniss nods. "No, it won't. It's easier with Rye, but with Willow, it was like having a mouse trap open and close repeatedly on me. It's just because you're still tender from the pregnancy. She's only a week old, after all," she says.

"Maybe so," Effie sighs, then strokes her baby's back. "Oh, well. She's worth the pain."

* * *

Two hours later, the party in the town square is in full swing, and Haymitch is in the midst of the crowd, looking around for his wife. Effie's sitting at a table, Elle fast asleep in her arms, and she's watching everyone else have fun. She cuddles Elle, feeling lost and lonely, isolated from everyone. She gets up and shifts Elle in her arms, careful not to disturb her, and walks off in the direction of the Village. She wishes she'd listened to Haymitch and stayed home with him. They'd shared one dance, and they'd had Elle between them while they danced, then Haymitch had been caught up chatting to an old schoolfriend, so Effie had left him to it. She'd been sat with Elle for the better part of the night, and she was upset by that. She lets herself into the house and takes Elle up to hers and Haymitch's room, where the cradle stands by the bed. She changes Elle's diaper, puts her in her sleep suit, then lies her down in the cradle, giving her a kiss on the forehead and whispering "Sleep well, my perfect baby girl."

Elle sleeps on, her little chest rising and falling steadily, reassuring her mother with every breath. Effie removes the tiny amount of makeup she has on, then changes into a  nightgown before getting into bed and burying her face in the pillow. She cries silently, the stress of the last few months finally catching her up, and stays put until she falls asleep. She's woken by Haymitch getting into bed beside her at ten thirty, his hand resting on her back. "Eff?" he asks softly, wondering if she's awake.

"Yes?" she asks sleepily.

"Hey, sweetheart, when did you get home?" he asks.

"About half past eight," Effie whispers. "I brought Elle home so that we could both have a nap. I'd have brought you, but you were busy with your friend, so I came home alone."

Haymitch hears the sound of sadness in her voice and turns her over gently, studying her face. "Sweetheart, why are you sad?" he asks quietly, wanting to kill whatever's hurt his squishy.

"I'm not sad," she whispers. "I was earlier, but I've cried now. It's okay, it was just the stress catching me up. I cried it out, it's okay."

He hugs her close and strokes her hair. "My Princess," he whispers. "You're my adorable little thing. Next time you're sad, tell me. I hate it when you're sad and alone. You can be a sad squish with me."

Effie burrows closer to him and clings to him. "Okay," she whispers. "I love you."

"Ditto, sweetheart," he murmurs, kissing the top of her head. She yawns, then snuggles down properly. "Go back to sleep, Eff."

"What if I miss midnight?" she whispers. 

"You won't, Princess. If Elle fell asleep at half past eight, she should be up for her feed at half past eleven," he tells her, giving her a kiss. "Come on, we can nap on for a bit."

Sure enough, at eleven thirty, Elle wakes up. She lies sleepily in her cradle for a minute, wondering where she is, then remembers that she's hungry. She lets out a high pitched shriek, squirming a little in her cradle. When her mother doesn't instantly appear, Elle screams again, much louder than before. She keeps screaming, hoping for her mother to arrive quickly. Effie groans from the bed and stretches as she gets up. She scoops Elle up and asks "Are you a hungry baby?"

Elle wails some more and Haymitch mumbles "Brng Peanut over here, we can cuddle her together."

Effie does as he says, curling under the duvet before feeding Elle. "It's too cold to be out of bed," Effie mumbles sleepily, resting her head on the headboard.

Haymitch sits up and wraps his arms around her, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder. "You're freezing, Princess," he murmurs, pulling her closer, mindful of their daughter. 

Effie snuggles up, then murmurs "You know that we're going to be up until at least half past twelve now, right?"

"Yeah, I know," Haymitch murmurs back. "But we're bringing in the new year together. And with our little baby starting as she means to go on."

"How's that?" Effie asks, yawning a bit.

"Keeping her parents awake past midnight, and not for the reasons we used to be kept awake," Haymitch murmurs.

"Not around Elle," Effie admonishes instantly. "It's because of us keeping each other up until midnight that we have a baby."

"Not around Elle," Haymitch mocks, laughing at her. "I still think it's a bit depressing that you disappeared for most of the year and didn't tell me that you were pregnant. I should have been there for you."

"I didn't want to scare you with it," she murmurs sleepily. "I was scared. I didn't want you to have to experience that with me. And since you get upset when I hurt, I couldn't tell you about the birth. That would have been horrible for you to watch."

"I would have stuck with you, you know that," he whispers.

"I wasn't going to make you do that. It would have distressed me to see you so worried, and that wouldn't have been good for Elle. It was the best thing for all of us, and you got to see your baby girl for the first time when she was clean and dressed. She was covered in mucus when she was first born, but despite that, she was still beautiful," Effie mumbles, not completely aware that she's babbling. "Beautiful baby girl."

Haymitch smiles a bit, then asks "How did I end up married to you? You're all full of sweetness, consideration, love, and cuteness. Even when you're half-asleep, you're still being nice. Why are you like that?"

"Because I'm your squishy," Effie mumbles, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. "Your sleepy squishy... Ow!"

Effie's drooping eyes fly open as she glares at her daughter. "What happened?" Haymitch asks.

"Your demon baby happened," Effie grumbles. "I got all warm and sleepy, then the little demon sank her bony little gums into me!"

Elle blinks up at her, feeding innocently. "How tender  _are_ you?" Haymitch asks, chuckling.

"Not funny," Effie hisses. "Imagine someone biting down very hard on your arm when it's sunburned, because that's what that felt like."

Elle just wriggles innocently. "Ouch," Haymitch mutters. "Hey, Peanut, not okay."

The baby makes puppy eyes at him and Effie sighs. "I just can't be mad at her!" she groans. "Why are you like that, Peanut?"

Elle coos, and then they hear it.  _"Ten... Nine... Eight..."_ coming from the town square.

"Midnight," Effie whispers.

Haymitch grins and cuddles both of his girls as they listen to the countdown.  _"Four... Three... Two..."_

As the  _one_ sounds, Haymitch leans in to kiss Effie, only to be eagerly met halfway. The fireworks begin to explode and cheering sounds in the distance, and Elle's eagerly kicking her little legs around. "Happy New Year, Mitch," Effie whispers, brushing her nose against Haymitch's.

"Happy New Year, Eff," Haymitch whispers back, then his gaze lands on Elle. "Happy New Year, Peanut."

Elle lets out a little squeak, and Effie smiles at her. "Happy New Year, my little angel," she whispers.

Half an hour later, and Elle's been fed, winded, changed, and cuddled to sleep. Haymitch and Effie are half-asleep, but still watching their baby sleep. "She looks like you," Haymitch whispers. 

"Only innocent when she's asleep?" Effie chuckles sleepily. "That sounds about right."

Haymitch laughs. "She's beautiful, just like you," he whispers, kissing Effie's cheeks. "She's the best gift you've ever given to me, Princess."

"I'm glad you love her so much," Effie murmurs. "Because when she gets destructive, she really will be all yours."

Haymitch chuckles and kisses her nose. "I can live with that," he whispers.

"You kind of have to," Effie chuckles sleepily. "I'm going to put her in the cradle. It's safer that way."

Haymitch nods and takes Elle. "Let me," he whispers. "I warm up faster than you."

Effie chuckles and lets him put Elle in her cradle. She watches as he kisses their baby's forehead and tenderly lies her down. He strokes her cheek, then lets her be, getting back into bed with Effie. She cuddles him and whispers "We finally did it."

"Did what?" Haymitch asks.

"We have a family. We started our year off perfectly, just the two of us and our little baby," she whispers. "We made it out of everything we went through, and started again. I didn't think we could actually do it."

"You're Effie Trinket, you can do anything," Haymitch chuckles. "I just follow your lead."

"I'm Effie  _Abernathy_ , you plank," she giggles. "And everything  _I_ do, I do with my hand in yours."

"All right," Haymitch laughs, taking her hand. "Go to sleep, sweetheart, Peanut will be up again soon."

Effie giggles and lies down properly, holding fast to Haymitch's hand. He lies down with her, hugging her with his free arm, and within minutes, they're sound asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> And there we have it! Happy 2018, my wonderful readers, and I do hope this year is full of everything good for you! As always (some things never change, haha), please let me know what you thought of this, any improvements you think I could make, and any constructive criticism you have.
> 
> As our 2017 closes, I'd just like to say thank you to you all. You've made this past year bearable for me. A lot has happened, and I've had a lot of dramatic changes in the second half of the year especially, and having all of you being so wonderful, supportive, and understanding has really made the biggest difference. I love coming here and sharing with you all. So a massive thank you to everyone who has read my stuff, and given me so much inspiration to keep writing.
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. See you in 2018! Cat xxx


End file.
